Raw Overclocking

Overclocking

In line with our past overclocking exercises, the GA-Z77X-UP7 was pushed to its limits on three fronts. First, we tried to achieve the highest CPU base frequency by pushing it beyond the default value of 100MHz. At the same time, we kept the DRAM timings at the default values defined by the Intel XMP specifications that was compatible with our Kingston HyperX memory modules. We also set the DRAM voltages to around 1.65V to ensure system stability at the higher CPU base frequency.

Highest CPU Base Frequency

In this section, we managed to get a stable overclock by adjusting the voltage of the CPU Vtt to a value of 1.295V and the DRAM Voltage to a high of 1.65V. With that, we managed to push the board's CPU Base Frequency to a high of 110MHz!

Model

Maximum CPU Base Frequency Achieved

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7

110.00MHZ

ASRock Z77 OC Formula

107.00MHz

MSI Z77 MPower

108.20MHz

ASRock Z77 Extreme6

100.00MHz

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe

108.00MHz

Biostar TZ77XE4

104.00MHz

ECS Z77H2-AX

104.00MHz

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB WiFi

109.00MHz

MSI Z77A-GD65

107.86MHz

Highest CPU Core Ratio

In the second scenario, we kept the host CPU base frequency at 100HMz while we attempted to achieve the highest CPU core ratio. For this section of the exercise, we kept the CPU Vtt at "Auto" while raising CPU Vcore to 1.450V and the CPU PLL to 1.890V. We changed the DRAM Voltage back to its "Auto" settings as well. We managed to reach a stable OC state with the GA-Z77X-UP7 achieving a maximum CPU Core Ratio of 48, with its CPU operating at a Turbo-boosted high of 4.8GHz!

Model

Maximum CPU Core Ratio Achieved

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7

48

ASRock Z77 OC Formula

45

MSI Z77 MPower

44

ASRock Z77 Extreme6

43

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe

45

Biostar TZ77XE4

45

ECS Z77H2-AX

45

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB WiFi

44

MSI Z77A-GD65

45

Highest Overall Overclock

In the final overclocking scenario, we attempted to achieve maximum overclock on both the CPU base frequency and the CPU core ratio. As mentioned earlier, we increased the CPU core voltage to a high of 1.450V, instead of usual average value of 1.25V. This is because unlike other boards we've tested to-date that didn't return any positive gains, the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 managed to push ahead and deliver better overclockability. However, we strongly advise against doing this in the long run as it may risk damaging the CPU from excessive operating temperatures - without the right cooling equipment and know-how of a more skillful overclocker.

With our disclaimers stated, we managed to overclock our Intel Core i7-3770K to 4.7GHz; with the board's CPU Core Ratio set at 45 and its CPU Base Frequency at 104.48MHz. In order to achieve a stable clock at this juncture, we had to tweak the voltages of its CPU PLL and IMC, as well as to set the board's Turbo Power Limit to a high of 500W.

Overclocking Results

Model

CPU Core Ratio

CPU Base Frequency(MHz)

Maximum Overclock Achieved

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7

45

104.48

4.70GHz

ASRock Z77 OC Formula

45

101.00

4.54GHz

MSI Z77 MPower

43

101.00

4.34GHz

ASRock Z77 Extreme6

43

100.00

4.30GHz

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe

44

103.80

4.56GHz

Biostar TZ77XE4

43

103.85

4.47GHz

ECS Z77H2-AX

45

103.50

4.65GHz

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB WiFi

45

103.00

4.63GHz

MSI Z77A-GD65

41

100.98

4.14GHz

Our overclocking experience with the board was actually rather pleasant, which is not something we can say for every other board. Its well-documented manual is a boon to those who need further assistance and while its UEFI BIOS utility was a little hard to navigate, it did offer a myriad of finer points in voltage and power settings. The lesson gleaned from our OC exercise, the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 is certainly built for overclockers in mind but we would approach it by just adjusting the board's CPU Ratio (the second scenario) as it was offered the least hassle with the maximum performance gain. So while the board wasn't stellar in normal usage benchmark performance, overclocking brought out the best out of the board's potential.